The Mist Rises
by Willibaldvonsomething
Summary: Just another night in the Bloody Mist for Zabuza, like the hundreds before it. The only difference? A drinking partner who shares his view. Who knows, maybe their dreams will come about one day.


"Hush brat.. you're fine.." Zabuza said quietly as he ran his hands through Haku's hair. The Mist ninja had no idea why he picked the kid up a year ago, but he was turning into a useful tool. The fact the brat had nightmares on a rare occasion were just something the ninja dealt with.

Like now, with Zabuza sitting on the kid's bed, soothing the kid in his sleep. A scene that anyone who knew Zabuza would call 'bullshit' on without hesitation, but it was true. Something about the kid was cracking the armor of the Demon of the Mist.

In Zabuza's opinion it just meant another weakness for someone to exploit... but that's what training was for. Kill your emotions, become a weapon in service of the village. Zabuza almost snorted when that line came to mind. 'In service of the village.' He'd been in service for years, rapidly climbing up the ranks, to become one of the most feared ninja the Mist has ever produced.

But he was starting to hate the village. He was as heartless as the best of them, but he knew what was going on in the village was just wrong. Entire clans were being wiped out. Why? Because they were a danger to the village? Because they were all spies? Hell, were they infected with a disease that'd kill every other Mist ninja?

No. No, the only reason dozens of people were getting slaughtered by the day was the damn blood that pumped through their veins. Yagura was an idiot. An idiot that was throwing away the best weapons that the Mist had. The Yuki, the Kaguya, even some of the Hoziki. He was going to run the village into the ground.

Bloodlines, clans. Those were the life of a village. A hidden village needed unique weapons, something that the Leaf, the Sand, Cloud, Stone, nothing they had. But no, the paranoid nut was doing every thing in his power to make it so that the only ninja left would be copy pasted weaklings who only knew four techniques.

Zabuza honestly thought he'd done the village a favor when he earned his title. His actions alone had been enough to stop the bloody graduation ritual, but all he got from it was hatred and fear.. not that he blamed them.. but what's done is done. He had to stop dwelling on the past. Instead he should look towards the future.

Zabuza sighed quietly, reminding himself that it'd only be a little while longer. One more year, and everything would be in place. Yagura's head would roll, and he could finally get the village back to where it needed to be. Where it should be. The Mist had been bloody for far too long. Things needed to change.

A quiet knock on the door broke Zabuza out of his thoughts, and it was with only minor complaints that he got up from Haku's bed. Least now the kid was sleeping in peace. He'd have to check again before going to sleep himself, but Zabuza didn't mind.

"It's open." Zabuza quietly called out as he took a seat in his bare bones kitchen. He knew only one person who had the guts to bother him at this hour.. or at all in fact.

So when Mei walked in wearing field gear, he wasn't too surprised. A bit curious about whose blood was soaked the dark grey flak jacket, but not concerned. The feisty red-head was no pushover, and wasn't stupid enough to pay him a midnight visit if it was a fatal injury.

"Hey you silly water demon. Can't even get a girl a drink?" A playful smirk danced across Mei's face as she shut the door behind her.

It was a rare sight to see Zabuza without bandages covering his face.. well to everyone but herself. She had to admire his body. He'd been a ninja longer than her, but his muscled chest was free of scars and blemishes. Goes to show why his moniker wasn't all talk. He was a demon in the mist, rarely seen, rarely heard, and as of yet, never touched.

"This isn't a bar, you man-eating witch." Zabuza shot back lazily, as he tilted his head towards the only other chair in the apartment.

Mei took the offered chair as Zabuza walked over to the cupboards. "The fact you're here to waste my booze means the mission was a success?"

"Of course, who do you think you are talking to?"

"A woman who Yagura is looking for every excuse to put on the chopping block. You've been lucky so far, don't push things." Zabuza sent Mei a half-hearted glare as he found the peach sake.

"You are worrying too much, I'm Yagura's shining star. I can do no wrong. In fact, I even gave him a helping hand in the mission today." Mei winked as Zabuza set a pair of cups down before her.

Zabuza just grunted in response to the terrible pun, as he took a seat, pouring a glass for Mei, then himself. "Alright then Ms. Perfect. What'd you do?"

Mei drained her glass before responding. Personally Zabuza hated sake in general, but he always kept a few bottles around just for her. After all, when your usual missions are suicide wrapped up in a pretty S-rank bow, a good drink is the least a person deserves.

"Weeell, if one were to say, that Toshiro Geti may have lost his life during this mission. That would be public knowledge, which most will find out tomorrow. But if I were to let it slip to a good friend that he died an honorable death to preserve village secrets from some Cloud bastard's tailing us. Well, I'd call that man a hero."

Zabuza took a sip from his own cup before pouring Mei another. The women looked like a light weight, and would act like one in public, but he knew from experience that she could go all night with out a hangover. She was as immune to alcohol as Zabuza was to most poisons. At times he wished the roles were reversed.

"Toshiro was a good man, Yagura was probably pissed to hear of his sacrifice." Zabuza spouted out the usual cover up. They both knew that Toshiro was another idiot plotting to over throw the fourth. He was just stupid and got caught. Though Zabuza could now see why Mei was in a good mood, she'd obviously played it off to look like she caught the traitor and executed him in a way that wouldn't damage Yagura's control of the village. Shining star indeed.

"Yes, he was." Mei drained her cup again, waving her hand as Zabuza moved to pour her another. "But that's not why I'm here. After all, who wants to talk about work, when I have a big, scary demon I could play with." The grin on Mei's face grew with each word as she set her cup down on the table quietly before standing up.

Her eyes never left Zabuza's as she sauntered around the table, swaying her hips with each step before taking her place in Zabuza's lap. To his credit, Zabuza just looked bored at the whole thing, his hands hidden from view behind Mei's back. Mostly cause he knew the show was for anyone spying on the apartment.

Mei casually wrapped her arms around Zabuza's neck as she kissed his cheeks. "What do you say? Up for a little night time fun, my little water demon?" She whispered in his ear, as Zabuza's hidden hand rapidly worked their way through the set of fifty seals.

Zabuza just gave his usual grunt as an affirmative before he finished the last seal for the genjutsu. It was one of the few genjutsu's he knew, but one of the best. After all, multilayered illusions were hard to come by, and the fact that Zabuza managed to steal this one from an Uchiha made it even rarer. If anyone looked over the apartment now, they'd see two shinobi enjoy drinks quietly. If they broke the illusion in the usual way, they'd find a second layer, mostly consisting of the Demon of the Mist and Mei Terumi getting intimate. So nothing suspicious.

"Aww, couldn't even kiss me back before you set the genjutsu? Meany." Mei giggled, giving Zabuza another playful peck on the nose.

"Would have broke my concentration. Now, anything to discuss?"

Mei pouted and lightly punched Zabuza in the shoulder for blowing her off so easily. Everyone in the village knew that the pair were physically together, though most believed that it was just that. Physical. "No, everything is going as intended. How's Haku?"

At this Zabuza sighed again. "The brat doesn't want to stay..."

"Have you tried to convince him?"

"Yes.. I have.. but he refuses to even think of the idea.. guess I can't complain though.. a loyal tool is the best kind of tool.." Zabuza put his head back to look at the ceiling as Mei giggled.

"Of course you'd say that, you silly water demon."

"Shut it witch..."

It was Mei's turn to sigh this time. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? I could help. We'd have a better chance of success if we both take him on."

"We've talked about this..It needs to be me. If you go down with me, the village may as well cease to exist... Yagura is strong.. in a few years you could be strong enough to take him on.. but the Mist can't wait that long.. every day someone deserts... someone else dies on a mission... this isn't a good death.. the Mist is dying like an old man, one unsteady breath at a time, instead of like a ninja."

"I know.. but we can't afford to lose you just yet.. we've already lost Kisame. If you leave.. the Seven will fall apart.."

"It'll be a risk we have to take... Those idiots at the leaf have that 'Will of Fire' crap, right?"

Mei just nodded, letting Zabuza continue. "Well, the Mist isn't that sentimental. Instead, just think of the Executioner's blade. What does it do?"

"Fixes itself using the blood of its slain. Why?"

"Exactly.. it's a sword that has the principles of the Mist at its core. So long as blood is spilled, we will survive. Not the useless blood of our allies and comrades, but the blood of our enemies... now come on.. you need to get that wound dressed."

Damn, she'd hoped to have gotten away without treatment. Sure, Zabuza wasn't as rough as some of the medic's, but she was still embarrassed to show weakness in front of him.

Zabuza picked Mei up, getting a suppressed gasp of pain before he placed her on top of the table, making sure not to spill the sake. He did pour her another glass as an apology before going to find the medical kit and a roll of bandages, leaving Mei to her thoughts.

She knew he was right in some places, but she didn't want to admit it... she worried for him. She thought of all the ways things could go wrong, how they could be caught before they were ready, how one of them could be killed on a mission before the opportunity presented itself.

It took her a moment, but Mei pushed those thoughts out of her mind. They'd succeed. She knew it. Zabuza was a master assassin, the best of the best. Soon enough this entire thing would be over, the plotting, the scheming, and he'd be Mizukage.

And as Zabuza walked in, telling her to take of her armor, one last thought passed through Mei's head. Maybe, just maybe, one day they could move passed partners, to something closer. Maybe one day, when the Mist rises again.


End file.
